Former lawmaker and Calvin College professor remembered for shunning negative campaigns

GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Stephen Monsma, a former state legislator and Calvin College professor, is being remembered as a calm and ethical politician who pursued justice and avoided negative attacks on his opponents, many of whom were his friends and colleagues.

Monsma, 80, died on Saturday, Feb. 18 after a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer.

In 1974, Monsma left his post as a political science professor at Calvin when he elected to the Michigan House as a Democrat in 1974. He served in the House until 1978, when he was elected to the state Senate. In 1980 and 1982, he ran two unsuccessful campaigns for Congress.

Monsma bowed out of politics in 1985 after losing a heated race in which control of the State Senate was at stake. In 1995, he left the Democratic Party and immersed himself in academics, first at Pepperdine University and later, as a senior fellow at Calvin College's Henry Institute.

As an academic and a politician, Monsma was known for collaborating with both sides of the political aisle. In 1972, he co-authored a book with Paul Henry, a Republican colleague on Calvin's faculty who went on to win election to Congress.

"I don't know how he would fit into the politics of today," said Steve Pestka, a former state house member and friend. "He was certainly not a person who would engage in negative campaigns. It was completely outside of his mindset."

Kevin R den Dulk, the Paul Henry Chair in Christianity and Politics at the Henry Institute, said he considers Monsma a mentor for civic engagement and academic excellence.

"Steve was a first-rate scholar who combined his experience in the nitty-gritty of policy-making and politics with a deeply biblical vision of public justice," den Dulk wrote in a tribute on the Henry Institute's website.

"He was especially concerned with how government might partner with civil society to advance the social welfare of the least advantaged. He often dealt with controversial issues, but he worked with a committed yet humane and generous spirit," den Dulk wrote. "He was disarming that way."

As a father, Monsma's love of the outdoors was passed on to his family through family camping trips, hikes and backpacking adventures, according to his son, Martin Monsma.

"One of the things people say about him politically was that he was very even-tempered and considerate," said Martin Monsma. "I don't think I ever heard him raise his voice. He just did not lose his calm. He was a very good role model as a father."

Monsma is survived by his wife, Mary; his son, Martin (Elizabeth) Monsma, his daughter, Kristin (Patrick) Flanagan, two sisters, Hester Monsma and Joanna Van Gent, and four grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, March 4, at 11 a.m. at Church of the Servant, 3835 Burton Street SE, Grand Rapids.